Chapter 20 Summary

On May 11, the mayor prohibits the sale of dry peas in New York City and sends the Pea-Tack Squad to shut down all pea-packaging plants. Trucks are stationed at all the entry points into the city and are ordered to search all incoming trucks for peas. The plant owners are told they cannot lose any money if their peas are not being delivered, which encourages most of the plant owners to close down without too much trouble. Mr. Posey, a pea-packaging plant owner who only recently had his first order for a ton of peas, does not want to shut down. Mr. Posey decides he will fight the closing since he has plenty of peas, and he does not see what pea soup, which is what most of his customers do with his peas, has to do with the war.